Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park - State park in Copeland - 137 Coast Line Dr, USA

Fakahatchee Strand is stunningly beautiful. The trails are amazing, you will see gators, even on the trail! I had an amazing day hiking and enjoying the real Florida that this park is doing an excellent job of preserving!

We drove the 6 miles to hike the East Main Tram Trail. The road is rough, we did less than 10 mph so it took almost an hour to get out there. The hike is 2 miles to the cabin (private property), but a nice hike. At the cabin the trail splits, to the left there were a ton of big alligators sun bathing which was cool to see.

If you want to get a taste of what southwest Florida looked like prior to all the development, Fakahatchee is the place to go. You can drive roughly 6 miles on Jane’s Scenic Drive to a grassy parking area. There is amazing wildlife there though the animals and birds aren’t easy to spot given the dense swamp/forest on both sides of the road. I personally have seen Everglades mink, deer, gators, red shouldered hawks and one baby cottonmouth swimming in a pool off to the side. Florida panthers have been seen there but I’ve not been so lucky as to spot one (yet!). If you’re interested in wildlife, best to go early, right when they open or just before dusk. The dirt road can be rutted so have in mind that it’s a slow bumpy drive. It’s also a great spot for gravel biking and running. From the parking area at the end of the drive you can either continue straight past the gate for another five miles to an adjacent park or take the path to the right which will lead you to the Fakahatchee “Hilton”, situated on a small lake crammed full of gators. There is a nice dock from which to see them. It’s roughly 2.5 miles to get there. The trail continues but that’s as far as I’ve gone. Be aware that gators may be found sunning themselves on the trail!

Beautiful and easy hike. Make sure you take water and comfortable shoes. Lots of wild life to see.

This is a wonderful place to come hiking and see wildlife, native plants and just disconnect. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get outdoors.

Beautiful place! Visitor center has water bottle fill up and bathrooms. Even the drive through is beautiful.

Such a beautiful park. I always heard about it and I’m not sure why I took so long to visit. I went in September so it was very lush and green. I saw a few deer, wild turkeys, rabbits and gators. I was hoping to see bears and Florida panthers but I guess I wasn’t lucky. I plan to visit again during the dry season. I highly recommend biking or walking the trails at the end of the 7 mile drive. Raw, pure Florida at its best.

Truly an amazing and wild piece of Florida. To get the most out of the experience step off the trail and get into the waters!